BILL NUMBER: SB 761	CHAPTERED  09/27/00

	CHAPTER   716
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE   SEPTEMBER 27, 2000
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR   SEPTEMBER 25, 2000
	PASSED THE SENATE   APRIL 29, 1999
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY   AUGUST 25, 2000

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Sher

                        FEBRUARY 24, 1999

   An act to amend Section 21159.9 of the Public Resources Code,
relating to environmental quality, and declaring the urgency thereof,
to take effect immediately.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 761, Sher.  Environmental quality.
   (1) Existing law, the California Environmental Quality Act,
requires the Office of Planning and Research to implement a public
assistance and information program relative to implementation of the
act.
   This bill would require that program to establish and maintain a
central repository for the collection, storage, retrieval, and
dissemination of specified notices provided to the office, and to
make the notices available through the Internet, as specified.
   (2) The bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately
as an urgency statute.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  Section 21159.9 of the Public Resources Code is amended
to read:
   21159.9.  The Office of Planning and Research shall implement,
utilizing existing resources, a public assistance and information
program, to ensure efficient and effective implementation of this
division, to do all of the following:
   (a) Establish a public education and training program for
planners, developers, and other interested parties to assist them in
implementing this division.
   (b) Establish and maintain a data base to assist in the
preparation of environmental documents.
   (c) Establish and maintain a central repository for the
collection, storage, retrieval, and dissemination of notices of
exemption, notices of preparation, notices of determination, and
notices of completion provided to the office, and make the notices
available through the Internet.  The office may coordinate with
another state agency for that agency to make the notices available
through the Internet.
  SEC. 2.  This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the
meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into immediate
effect.  The facts constituting the necessity are:
   In order to ensure that the Office of Planning and Research
fulfills its responsibilities pursuant to the California
Environmental Quality Act in a manner that broadly involves the
public at the earliest possible time, it is necessary for this act to
take effect immediately.
